The Oldest Voices We Can Still Hear

The 1800s aren’t usually remembered through sound. While Photographs allow us to see this century more vividly than any before it, the stern-faced Victorians stare back at us in silence from their portraits. It was only in the 20th century that the phenomenon of playing back voices became so common that we take it for granted. But the technology to do so existed far earlier, allowing us to listen to the distant echoes of people who lived centuries ago. This video is dedicated to the oldest voices that can still be heard.
→ MUSIC
The Nutcracker Suite - Act I, No.5. Arabian Dance - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
By “European Archive” (musopen.org/)
Holberg Suite, Op.40 - 4. Air - Edvard Grieg
By “Papalin” (musopen.org/)
Lyric Pieces, Op. 62 - V. Drommesyn - Edvard Grieg
By “Edward Rosser” (musopen.org/)
Pieces in G - no. 2 - César Franck
By “Erik Jan Eradus” (musopen.org/)
Lyric Pieces, Op. 38 - VIII. Canon - Edvard Grieg
By “Papalin” (musopen.org/)
Peer Gynt Suite no. 1, Op. 46 - II. Aase's Death - Edvard Grieg
By “Musopen Symphony” (musopen.org/)

[@CallicoJackracham]

For how creepy and ghostly those digitalized 19th century recordings tend to sound i could not help but smile at the genuine hearty laughter of the gentleman reciting nursery rhymes. We are so accustomed to pictures and painting of 19th century people looking stoic and serious we tend to forget they were ordinary people capable of humor just as much as we are.

[@calvinjenkins6900]

I love how hard he’s laughing, he’s clearly having the time of his life

[@train_go_boom2065]

Yeah like the example of a allied soldier mocking hitler after he was killed in ww2

[@darklands7361]

​@@train_go_boom2065there are plenty of photos like that, but most would be in personal collections or not as popular since they are not seen as defining historical pictures. In the 1800s, however, it took a lot longer to actually take a photo so it would be hard to capture moments like that without being severely blurred from movement

[@vaderbuckeye36]

Reminds me specifically of this picture of a Chinese farmer smiling and striking a pose because he was unfamiliar with the custom of photographs being serious at the time.

[@CallicoJackracham]

@@vaderbuckeye36 Yes i know that photograph, wonderful thing really.

[@tylernaturalist6437]

Hearing the voice of a human born two centuries ago is both incredible and creepy

[@BuddyLee23]

Getting to be two and a quarter…⏳

[@MichaelMike-ob2gb]

Nothing "creepy" in it.

[@robertlovlie5194]

Intuitively, yes. But time really is just one piece. It's not, conceptually, weirder to listen to the words of von Moltke then it is to listen to those of Neil Armstrong, Ronald Reagan or Kurt Cobain.

[@agestone]

Imagine, people from the year 3023 will watch you typing this comment. They will see me sitting on the floor in russian appartments near the river typing my comment and drinking hot cocoa. We can't hide from people of the future. They will see us through the photon traces and emitting of space-time continuum. Now this is creepy) "Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord." Jeremiah 23:24

[@ImmutableUniverse]

What's creepy about it?😂

[@JacobSmith-fh3kb]

That last part,"no one knows what happened to his remains, but his voice lives on," sent chills up my spine.

[@peterc4082]

You do know that most cemeteries are emptied out once all the relatives die out? That happens in most places.

[@delphicdescant]

@@peterc4082 How could that generalization be true? Lineages can't be expected to die out. For "all" the relatives to die out, a lineage would have to be extraordinarily unlucky. When people do family history research, they're typically able to find the burial places of their relatives from centuries before. Often, the inscriptions left on the gravestones are some of the most reliable evidence for that research, even.

[@niffler09]

if it's any consolation, pretty much any German town has a street named after him

[@hinkelstein69]

@@niffler09 10 more years of the Green party in power and they will have changed all such streetnames

[@Centermass762]

It's a pretty safe bet to say the Russians looted the place and stole his remains.

[@lemonlovestea]

4:22 humanity‘s first playable recording of its own voice from 1860 5:02 the earliest known recording of intelligible human speech 5:42 a song composed by Victor Massé 7:59 recording of Mary had a little lamb+laughter in 1878 11:05 oldest playable recording of a recognizable female voice 13:36 Helmuth Moltke‘s congratulatory message to Thomas Edison

[@doobydoes4956]

Thank u bro

[@t-k-mohamed7121]

Thnx

[@-justaclown-]

❤

[@parryyotter]

You forgot 5:44

[@PotatoDoe-du1vj]

Thank you

[@cheeririnaldo435]

My grandparents were born in the mid 1880s and my paternal grandmother lived to ninety seven years old. She told me it was an amazing life to see the number of changes, inventions, and advances that she did. From horse and buggy to a man on the moon... from the telegraph to computers.

[@TheJoyfulEye]

My grandmother was born in 1891. I remember that she was highly suspicious about the landing on the moon; she wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't all an elaborate hoax :)

[@jenniferlloyd9574]

@@TheJoyfulEye Because she didn't understand the science.

[@ghxxxzt]

I sometimes forget that the 1880s weren't too long ago... damn

[@michaelkinville177]

You will very likely be able to claim to have seen a similar transformation if you live as long.

[@watutman]

The advances in propaganda bs. No man has been on the moon.

[@malac8860]

Fun fact: Until the discovery of a recording of Helmuth von Moltke in 2012, Lajos Kossuth, a Hungarian nobleman/statesman etc. was the person with the earliest birth date from whom a sound recording was known (he was born in 1802).

[@DANKKrish]

he was also a really important part og hungarian history

[@gothfather8741]

Hajrá Magyar!

[@manzanasrojas6984]

ah yes, "Helmuth von Moltke" a clearly ethnically hungarian name lol

[@WhiteCourtain]

I didn't even know there was a recording of him left and I'm hungarian

[@Ryliarc]

@@WhiteCourtain same lol

[@philchristmas4071]

My grandfather was born in 1893, unfortunately he passed before I was born. Luckily his sister lived from 1897-2001 and when I was a teenager in the early 90s it was so fascinating talking with her. She had lived through WW1, WWII, Korean war, Vietnam war and Desert storm. She didn't have running water, electricity or an indoor bathroom until she was in her 40s. She never had a license. She didn't grow up with a car, tv or phone in the family or when she got married. They couldn't afford these things until they were in their 40s. Living in rural areas even made these things harder for her to obtain. She bought ice blocks because she didn't have a refrigerator, she chopped wood for her stove and hooked her buggy to the horse to go to town and church. Everything took hard work just to survive. Her horse was one of her most prized possessions, because they needed him to plow the fields and for transportation. They had to make sure he was fed and taken care of, like seeing the vet, before they could have things. It really put things in perspective of just how important their farm animals were to there survival. Her kids viewed a hot bath as a luxury, because that meant the parents had enough energy and wood to build a fire under the wash tub.

[@ranjittyagi9354]

Folks back then were very robust, strong!

[@I_Will_Steal_Your_Kneecaps]

She lived to be 106 or 107? Damn

[@philchristmas4071]

@@I_Will_Steal_Your_Kneecaps She wasn't born until 1897 and passed in 2001. My fathers side live pretty long lives. My grandfathers 4 oldest sons "my dads 4 oldest brothers" all fought in WWII and the last one passed fairly recent. They all lived into their mid/late 90s. My father was 20+ years younger than the 4 oldest brothers. I was very fortunate to be raised by uncles that fought in WWII and even one great uncle that fought in WW1. When I was young I thought it was odd that a lot of my family members were so old. It was great though because they all took me hunting, fishing and to work on their farms all the time. Then I had 3 12-15 year older brothers and sister because he had me later in life. So yeah, I was by far the youngest.

[@psalm6408]

Similar situation. One g-grandfather was born in Georgia in 1826. He had my grandmother (his 16th child by two wives) in 1889 when he was 63 and my g-grandma was 38. My grandmother was 41 when she had my dad in 1930. I was born in 1965. I always tell people, “I’m barely here”.

[@deadlyoneable]

So she lived in 3 different centuries. Amazing.

[@Perebynis]

Amazing that Moltke (going on 90!) was the only person recording his voice who fully comprehended the potential of the invention of the phonograph. To the others the machine seems to have been a mere curiosity or toy. (To be honest, that´s what social media are for 95% of us today, still.)

[@historysimplified4075]

To be a man of Moltke’s calibre, you had to understand the potential of modern technology. Just as he pioneered mobile warfare strategy, along with Schlieffen.

[@kurtcobain6033]

Visions of a future he was never meant to see

[@nutterbuttergutter]

I don’t care what anyone says, social media is disease.

[@meghanachauhan9380]

​@@historysimplified4075well if you understand how something works, you can easily understand how it'll change the future

[@peterc4082]

Terrible man. Prussians were horrible and they led to German militarism and Hitler and so much misery. The rest of the Germans are a more peaceful bunch, Prussia was the nasty one on account of the Teutonic knights who were real thugs.

[@hailchristandmary]

Imagine the seconds after they finished speaking into the phonograph, telling those in the room what a remarkable machine it is and not knowing over a hundred years later thousands of people will be listening to their words, that are stuck in time, intently with fascination.

[@nightwheel]

I think Field Marshal Von Moltke would be truly surprised if he found out that 134 years later in 2023. People would be hearing him speak his message to the present. I bet there was a part of him who expected that recording to be treated as a throwaway curiosity. Especially once it reached its way back to Edison. I also don't think he had any idea how right, if almost prophetic, he would be with his choice of words.

[@nightwheel]

Meanwhile Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville died thinking people would never get the opportunity to properly appreciate his invention as he originally intended. How oddly fitting that over 140 years later. He would get his wish that people would one day be able to visually make use his recording. Except instead of us being able to read it like writing as he intended/expected. We were instead able to make visual scans of the recording and convert them into something that could actually be listened to. Even giving us a chance to actually hear him. Just like how Edison could do with recordings on his phonograph.

[@louiskoenig9719]

Peut-être trouverons-nous le moyen de lire les sons dans les poteries au moment où elles ont été '' tournées ''...

[@kyrab7914]

That really is a visual. I feel like you'd be curious, or wondering what the hell this man is trying to sell you

[@gtb81.]

it's somewhat comforting to know Édouard-Léon was not only not forgotten but his voice is still heard centuries later. His wishes were certainly fulfilled.

[@irregularassassin6380]

He said he had nothing to leave his sons but his good name. In actuality, he left us all his voice.

[@fuoco1365]

@@irregularassassin6380truly shows that even if you are forgotten at one point. Sometimes it's not exactly permanent.

[@morpheas768]

He actually was forgotten though, for a significant period of time. We uncovered facts and were able to recreate his voice, but for quite some time, he vanished from the world and only his family and friends remembered him.

[@WinterandNoodle]

@@morpheas768 Nerd emote ^ no shit he was forgotten, OP is just saying that even in the end he is remembered

[@JohnDoe-bi5cc]

Yo mama's wishes were certainly fulfilled.

[@timprescott4634]

Moltke’s recording is astonishing. To think I can listen to the clear voice of a man born in the 18th century and who was fully aware that we would be able to is just incredible.

[@Miniredfoxette]

I love the fact that one of the oldest voices we have recorded has someone laughing 😊. And that the oldest (and so many others) have music in them😊

[@Kiokatz_]

Makes you realize again that history is human

[@NandoDisco]

Yes! Especially when he laughs and says he doesn't know the song. It's such an everyday thing to so many.

[@zacksung11]

This is just haunting. To hear the voices of people over a century ago really shakes a person's ideas of history and time. Really fascinating.

[@SStupendous]

Indeed. These recordings of the early 1860s are under 30 years before my great-grandfather was born (1889, only 23-24 years after the US Civil War)... and I was born in the 2000s.

[@TopatTom]

@@SStupendous crazy id’nit?

[@p24p14]

It's even more haunting when you realise the voice belongs to someone who basically has ceased to exist altogether, as both they're grave is unmarked and they're far from living memory. It's a solemn reminder that most of us will simply be forgotten after 200 years.

[@wizardlybananagaming7556]

I found them quite joyful. Like listening to a child try out a new toy. Personally stuff like this connects me to the past and reminds me that people were, are, and will always be people.

[@clairekortbawi5659]

It's scary that a century ago was the mid-20s. So strange. If someone said something was a century ago, I'm thinking fin de siècle at the latest. Just think that nobody alive today was born in the 19th Century. That's wild.

[@scot60]

It blows my mind that I, as a 63 year old person have known and spoken with people born as long ago as 1890.

[@InfoArtistJKatTheGoodInfoCafe]

Agreed. I'm 65 and knew my great grandfather who died when I was around 6 years old. He was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1879.

[@thesnake52000]

And I bet you will sometime speak to someone who will live over another 100 years.

[@davidcouch6514]

Yes, I’m 69 and conversed with my Great Grandmother born in 1871; which I’ve thought is amazing that she probably learned Spontaneous Generation in Science Class.

[@hotpocket_42o]

@@davidcouch6514lol

[@chickonasportbike598]

My Opa and Oma were born in 1896 and 1898 respectively and lived to see the horse and buggy, the airplane to the moon landing.

[@SentinelOfSomething]

Hearing the gleeful laughter of a man singing nursery rhymes almost 150 years ago made me emotional. What a beautiful recording!

[@samuelmeier8355]

The feelings you get hearing this are hard to describe. As a german, hearing Van Moltken speak this same language some 140 years ago is really something else

[@whatthehellisthisname]

I agree, so clear as well, I wouldn't have needed subtitles to make out his words.

[@kuromatsu1539]

It is also the content of his words. He said it in a way, knowing future generations will hear them, making him the "Voice from beyond the grave". As if he wanted to greet the future people hearing him. It's awesome in a way and creepy. But very positive

[@mo7798]

Exakt das gleiche habe ich auch gedacht. Er sprach nicht anders als die Deutschen heute. Aber sein Name war nicht "Van Moltken" :D

[@gaspartiznado6418]

“The phonograph makes it possible for a man, who has already rested long in the grave, once again to raise his voice and greet the present.” ~ Helmut von Moltke Geez, this hits hard.

[@lesliekevinhuddleston2142]

It does indeed we are for only a sort time this way.

[@JasonSmith-eo2hu]

One of the most obvious things for a guy at his age and in his time to contemplate, that we completely take for granted and miss ourselves.

[@user-fi2fc7xn7v]

I don’t understand how this hits hard. That’s like saying “Wear shoes to protect your feet” something obvious like that.

[@user-fi2fc7xn7v]

I don’t understand how this hits hard. That’s like saying “Wear shoes to protect your feet” something obvious like that.

[@user-fi2fc7xn7v]

I don’t understand how this hits hard. That’s like saying “Wear shoes to protect your feet” something obvious like that.

[@calmkenny4175]

I met my great grandmother for the one and only time in 1960. The one and only sentence she said to me was " I've spoken to someone who had a conversation with Napoleon". She was 90 in 1960, so she must have been very young at the time and the person who spoke to Boney must have been quite old. If true, it's a tenuous connection spanning a long time but I can say that I've spoken to someone who has spoken to someone who chatted with Napoleon.

[@Hunter-vp3he]

That’s wild! I had to check Napoleon’s lifespan (1769-1821) and compared it to your great grandmother (born approximately 1870). That gap in time blows my mind.

[@davestier6247]

Good ol Boney

[@gabrielm185]

​@@Hunter-vp3he It could be Napoleon III (1808-1873)

[@GabriellazyBones]

And now i can say that i left a message for someone who has spoken to someone that has spoken to someone that spoke to napolean

[@walkgotr4]

the idea that your grandmother spoke to someone who knew exactly what napoleon looked like and his voice, mannerisms, etc is chilling.

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

The 1878 trumpet recording is my favourite. It feels alive. The 1860 "Au clair de la lune" song is haunting. The words "La lune", sung very slowly and clearly, are absolutely clear, and you can tell what his voice sounded like... It is something that the oldest recorded human voice sang in my native French, 163 years ago as I type this.

[@DannyPotato]

He sounded rather sweet.

[@flyfelix333]

Helmut von Moltke was aware that this "in der Tat staunenswerte Erfindung" Edison invented, would become popular. He choose or read wise words and i think he would be proud if he knew that someone born over 200 years after him still hears his message in his language. Danke Euch, Herr von Moltke!

[@mistahcow]

13:38 i'm german and listening to this man's eloquent use of words from more than 130 years ago was both fascinating and terrifying considering that he grew up during napoleon's peak

[@winstonedwards2014]

People don't really realize just how *slowly* language actually evolves. While it might be a bit different, I have no doubt that most people who speak English can read and understand most of English from the 1800's.

[@pabblo1]

@@winstonedwards2014 I'd say even 1700's English is mostly understandable.

[@winstonedwards2014]

@@pabblo1 It is. Sure, there are some grammar and word diferences, and unless you're reading something like Shakespeare (yes, I know he's earlier than 1700's, just need an example of a more antique English) with a ton of different intricacies, you're going to be surprisingly ok.

[@ikarly2898]

I read Spanish books from 1600's and I'd say it's 95% close to modern Spanish.

[@winstonedwards2014]

@@ikarly2898 That's a lot higher of a percentage than I would've expected. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that Spain, as far as I know, hasn't had major language reform since then. What caused Spanish's lack of a change from then to now?

[@gregbrougham1423]

I knew someone born in 1859 and when I asked her who was the oldest person she knew, it was her great grandmother who was born when Washington was president. So I guess I knew someone who knew someone when Washington was president. Brings the years closer together than we think.

[@epikberman7756]

Holy cow That was Actually Really really awesome Also when typing “holy” in this comment, autocorrect typed holocaust Which is actually strange

[@michellechee7890]

Wow that's amazing!

[@ohkyle9595]

​@epikberman7756 My brother in christ, what is your search history

[@epikberman7756]

@@ohkyle9595 History stuff

[@mylesthered3614]

Goodness, and how old are you?

[@voyaristika5673]

My grandfather was born in 1892 and lived to age 96. The changes he saw are unmatched by any generation in all of of mankind's existence. He was born into a world that hadn't changed significantly in hundreds of years, and died in a world totally unrecognizable to all who lived before. Hearing the laughter on that one recording was really special. Thank you for this intriguing and educational video!

[@cumcer6140]

People keep saying that its scary to hear voices of people that died long ago, but i just think its really fascinating

[@darthplagueis13]

The Moltke recording is super interesting, not just because he's the earliest born man to ever have his voice recorded, but also because he was entirely aware that this recording may outlive him and that people might listen to it long after his death. It's also remarkable just how much the sound quality had improved in such a short span of time. The earlier recordings in this video had so much static that you could only make out a few individual words but this one is almost entirely clear and comprehensible (if you speak german, anyways).

[@Fuerwahrhalunke]

As a German; It's as clear as it can be (considering that this is the earliest recording of a voice there is) and I could understand all of it clearly.

[@mspysu79]

In that recording when he refers to the device as the telephone, that is a bit of poetic justice, because it was work by Alexander Graham Bell that led to the better sounding and more durable wax cylinder. Bell was also developing some of the earliest disc based recording systems.

[@Bhatt_Hole]

Because he was clearly an extremely bright person. Made even more impressive considering his age at the time.

[@callummclachlan4771]

@@Fuerwahrhalunke Even as someone who recognises some words (learning German). It is surprisingly clear.

[@vladhelikopter]

Funnily, Moltke turned out to have the most default German voice ever XD.

[@Leprechaunproduction]

If I ever got a time machine, I would love to go back in time and tell the gentleman at 8:30 that people would still be smiling at hearing his laughter 145 years later.

[@ellengomm6972]

Yeah, it sounds like he's singing and laughing at a family party

[@360decrees2]

If you ever got a time machine you'd be making surreptitious visual and sound recordings of the people and things of the period with today's gear (or better hardware you might have nicked from the future).

[@EnemaoftheState]

If I ever had a time machine I would go back and tell Lincoln to skip the play at Ford's theater.

[@khalidnoor7735]

@@EnemaoftheState Might result in the world being significantly worse lol one small change and you come back and everything is gone

[@Yr.2]

I dont know I think its creepy.

[@strikeforce1500]

I think the most impressive part,is how the first recorded sound, was transform into a digital form. I really wished more records from the past,regardless of form, gets into digital form someday,both for preservation and access to it

[@user-vi2qd6tr1r]

Hearing those voice of people died century ago makes me wanna experience their life. I can't help but to wonder how simple life those people had without pollution, no brick tower, full of greenery, no modern world problem and many more.

[@rotciv1492]

As a History nerd, I can't properly describe the emotions I felt when hearing the actual voice of the friggin' Von Moltke. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to fangirl a man who died in 1891.

[@Richard-yd1ws]

Von Moltke the younger, who started WW1, only got his job because of the reputation of the Elder. Having started the war, he collapsed with a nervous breakdown, having understood what he’d started

[@svovy5358]

Aren't both Austria AND Russia more culpable for WW1 than Germany?? Austria : First country to declare war Russia : First Country to declare war on another Superpower with a complex entangling alliances, also the First Country to declare war because of a Treaty Germany didn't initiate anything Germany was just doing exactly what Russia did; Germany was "blamed" simply because of their strength and cohesion at the time made the the most formidable force in Europe @@Richard-yd1ws

[@karinritter8638]

@@Richard-yd1ws Wikipedia is leftist crap

[@nnjack9931]

Read the book July 1914 by Sean McMeekin. And don't forget France gets some of the blame.

[@KEVIN-tx6bt]

Fangirl?

[@Zizumia]

I remember watching a documentary on a group of researchers who hypothesized that pots made by scraping a brush across it's surface could allow us to listen to conversations the ancient Roman women who were making the pots, were having. They thought the sound waves could slightly vibrate the brushes and plant a sound wave on the soft clay pot. Unfortunately, it didn't result in anything, but can you imagine if something like that existed??

[@Leo-ok3uj]

The fact that such amazing possibility is not a matter of joke truly proves one thing, technology is truly beyond magic

[@omeganinjaboy]

If someone happened to make one long and continuous stroke, that would be plausible. The issue would be that if the stroke was not at a constant rate it would be quite a pain to find out the varying playback speed. At the present moment, we can hear conversations (maybe even those that have already passed, but I forget, depends how long the plant is in motion) by looking at a plant through a window of another building due to slight variation in the movement of its leaves and this audio technology is only getting better. Edit: found what I meant kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHy7gKiZjadnl5o

[@TheWizardDudeguy]

Imagine ancient romans hearing female pot makers talking about assasinating their emperor lmao

[@TheBananamonger]

The X Files wasn't a documentary, dog

[@majkus]

It does sound plausible-but the mystery to me is why it took so long for the phonograph to be invented, since all the principles-constant wheel rotation, materials like wax or foil, well-machined screws to move the stylus-were there for quite some time before anyone thought of recording sound.

[@atomiclena128]

The laughter at the Mary Had A Little Lamb recording... So beautiful to listen to, almost impossible to comprehend that this was in the Victorian Era.

[@7shinta7]

As a former German Officer I learned a lot about Helmuth von Moltke. But never in my life I would've thought that I'd be able to actually hear his voice with my own ears. Technology truly is something magnificent. Thank you for this very interesting video.

[@MedicallyHigh]

These voices belonged to people who lived full lives. They loved, they had thoughts and feelings. They belong to a soul who’s passed but who’s voice will never die.

[@victoriastone2975]

Beautifully put!

[@KISSFAN1970]

So, they were people is what you're saying. 🙄

[@ShafayLaghari-tl1lt]

People still love and get loved stop being so depressed

[@pureone8350]

I mean, it's only about a 150 years ago. It's not like humans were any different back then.

[@triumphant39]

That literally describes every voice recording of everyone. Including nowadays. It also describes people you hate. 😂

[@jenniferhanses]

I can't help but love that "The Great Silent One" is somehow the oldest recorded human voice surviving. And that was a very nice, clear recording, too., given the technology.

[@mspysu79]

The first US president to have his voice recorded using a sound motion picture in 1924 was Calvin Coolidge, known by many as "Silent Cal".

[@watutman]

I like that he was "silent in seven languages." When I was a teen and in my 20s I was shy and silent. Around ,27 yrs old or so, I realized that most of the people talking the loudest around me were saying far inferior things than I had to offer, do I stopped being bashful and silent from then on.

[@marloesk9753]

He spoke when needed ,you could say

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

Recording my voice was cool even in the 90's. The Talkboy being a perfect example. I had one and the smaller pen version. I still have a few tapes and love listening to my own silly childhood antics.

[@floydthebarber5452]

I remember doing that too! When I was 13 my sister and I would pretend that we were radio dj’s and we would record ourselves. We’d share household news and the weather in between songs. I wish I had saved the cassettes but I remember thinking they were dumb and tossing them when I was about 18. I am 44 now and would love to hear them.

[@dominicpancella3012]

Here I am, only a few miles from where one of the earliest audio recordings was made more than 145 years ago, and I had no idea. Also von Moltke's voice sounds not only remarkably clear but also both incredibly lucid for an 89-year-old war veteran and almost scarily prophetic. I hope, somewhere, his voice is still heard hundreds of years from now.

[@terminusest9179]

It's crazy to think Moltke's words actually make sense with what we think listening back to it: "The telephone makes it possible for a man who has already lain long in the grave once again to raise his voice and greet the present." He truly has lain long in the grave for over 100 years only for his voice to be heard again long after.

[@ihanakaunotar2741]

It’s almost haunting

[@javrich]

This last message put such a big smile on my face... it's like I got greeted by someone who was truly remarkable! Who not even in his wildest dreams could imagine millions or persons over 100 years later, would hear his greeting to "the present". It truly puts "time passing by" into a whole different perspective.

[@Elcore]

Also endearing that his statement there is completely wrong and he repeats it with the correct "phonograph" after a youngster explains it to him. Still, not a bad grasp of cutting-edge tech for a 90+ year old.

[@jonaslinter]

​@@ElcorePretty much makes it the worlds first recorded blooper

[@Nathanquebecer]

Reminds me of The Beatles song Your Mother Should Know “Let’s all get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your mother was born” The song is even more meta nowadays because IT IS the song that was a hit before my mother was born that I am now getting up and dancing to. Aged like fine wine

[@Pioneer_DE]

I really find it cool that the thing Moltke describes, is what he is doing, raising his voice despite being dead for 130~ish years

[@userequaltoNull]

I think he mighy very well have known what he was doing, being very old and very learned.

[@swunt10]

The old strategist knew exactly what it all meant in the grand scheme of things. He was talking into a machine knowing full well he really was talking to future, yet unborn, generations.

[@cloaker2829]

sucks that one of the statues commemorating was torn down when the communists took over.

[@griffin_gold]

The hardy laughter made me feel happy. It's something that I'd laugh about today, like if I was singing a song and I was messing up the lyrics. It's relatable. Something I didn't think would be possible, relating to someone from so long ago.

[@frankvandorp2059]

So great that these recordings are so old, and still have better sound quality than most intercoms at drive-throughs.

[@malinelli.]

I am german from formerly Prussia and the fact that I could understand every word the General said without looking at the subtitles is wild, such good sound, he sounded just like any old men today. I thought about why he said almost the exact same sentence twice...the second time he twisted a few words so that it sounds a tiny bit more correct, elegant and sophisticated, like a written text. There was probably a lot of thought about what to say behind it and no chance to delete the first imperfect try.

[@vast634]

There was a fixed amount of recording time, so he probably wanted to fill it and just reused his previous statement.

[@gabbleratchet1890]

He repeats it because he misidentifies the invention as the telephone the first time.

[@AndreaColombo-fx1wh]

What did he say?

[@vast634]

@@AndreaColombo-fx1wh starts at 13:40 , you can read the English transcript on screen.

[@katpol2007]

What does that even mean? Did people say things twice on the telephone back then? It doesn't make sense to me.@@gabbleratchet1890

[@__-fm5qv]

It's fascinating how much personality you can hear, despite the poor quality of the recordings, it really brings people of the past to life.

[@MrManfly]

Yup like the last recording from a guy born in 1800 !! 😮

[@Da.Liar-Pig]

Just wait until some kid would said this is ai 😐

[@scottmorley3672]

I've read that they are still trying to extract evidence of a personality from old recordings of Pat Paulsen.

[@sheilasmith7991]

I'm 52. I remember my nans neighbour when I was a small child. She was nearly 100 years old so was born around 1876, almost 150 years ago. She was always nice to me giving me bars of chocolate or a 50 pence piece which to me as a little kid seemed a fortune. She died around 1977, not long after she reached 100. Just think, her grandparents would have been born during the Georgian period long before Victoria came to the throne. We live so close to the 19th and 18th centuries even though they seem the distant past. Listening to our ancestors voices is truly fascinating so thanks for adding this to KZbin.

[@direbearcoat7551]

Wow! I am moved, nearly to tears by this revelation! Amazing that we can hear the voices of folks from well over a hundred years ago! I'm so glad that you made this video. You're research and the manner in which you presented this material is incredible! I have no words. Thank you!

[@johnathandavis3693]

I don't see the creepyness a lot of people are commenting about here. To be greeted from the past by a figure like Field Marshall von Moltke feels like a privilege, one that only people alive now can experience. Thank you for posting this...

[@Jayfive276]

To people on youtube everything old is "creepy". VHS recordings are creepy, old malls are creepy, hotel corridors are creepy. If not creepy, it's...ugh.."cursed".

[@ryanhernandez8324]

7:59 This guy is literally playing the trumpet straight into the mic, messes up the rhyme, and laughs about it. This is just as silly as people have ever been. Today, this would have been a pretty good streaming clip or something. Surely no one thinks it creepy.

[@mementomori771]

​@ryanhernandez8324 exactly it's extremely novel

[@jonascastejon5888]

Agreed, the only thing I've found creepy about old records are those like old 19th photos of dead people 💀. Now that would be an appropriate use if the word "creepy", very strange custom indeed ☠️

[@danielainger8666]

A lot of people on KZbin are fools it’s awesome to hear centuries old people.

[@andreasmetzger7619]

What I find very interesting is that with the recording of Moltke as well as with Bismarck or the Kaiser, you hear the prussian flair in their speech. A very particular way of pronouncing words sadly not around anymore. At least for the majority of the people.

[@SStupendous]

I want to see it brought back!

[@just_a_hampa]

The voice recording reminds me a lot of my now dead grandfather. He used to talk very similarly to this.

[@philipmulville8218]

Yes, he speaks with great authority and clarity. He also sounded genuinely astonished at this amazing new technology.

[@dschanriihl9043]

You can hear his age in the record as well. It is kind of wired, how similar his pronounciation is to Norddeutschen born before the war.

[@thursoberwick1948]

A lot of people in Berlin don't even speak German anymore, or rarely do. I wonder if it will end up being an English or even Arabic speaking city.

[@imdeplorable2241]

Thank you so much for making this video. I have NEVER read or heard of these recordings before. These recordings are absolutely wonderful. Thank you for sharing them with the world.

[@user-yi3yx2fn7g]

This video has really made it apparent that everyone, EVERYONE, please leave a voice heritage to your heirs. To listen to these voices, so far but still so close, it boggles my mind that I am here in my cozy home, watching youtube, connecting with someone from hundreds of years ago, wishing I had more of their honest stories preserved. Please EVERYONE, don't consider yourself insignificant! One day you will be cherished by your descendants, more treasured than kings or queens, just a laughter across the centuries. Amazing.

[@solinvictus39]

What saddens me, is that so many relatives of mine passed away without having ever left a audio record of their speech or even a video of them in life, when these technologies were widely available during their lifetimes. I think many people just assume that their existence isn't very important and won't be valued by their loved ones when they are gone, but they would be wrong. I value the few voicemails I have saved of my grandmother and my mother, and I find it comforting to hear their voices again.

[@cessnaverdi]

My mom was a singer/musician. She passed in 2001. When my dad passed in 2019, I found a cassette tape of my mom singing radio jingles and jazz songs in 1964-65. The tape still works in my tape player. My mom had a beautiful singing voice and I'm so happy I can still hear her. I need to get the recordings digitized.

[@thecryptoqueen215]

@@cessnaverdiYes please preserve those recordings forever!🥹❤️❤️❤️

[@Jessica-mq3mm]

I had a few stories that papaw told us that i recorded. I suffered a major pc hardware malfunction and lost them some years ago :( we had a voicemail machine that would mess up after a call and would fill up the cassette, recording the room. I found one of my you ger brothers playing and you can hear laughter, a thud where someone fell off the couch and my grandma both scolding and soothing lol.

[@matrixiekitty2127]

I know how you feel. I never met my grandmother, but I had hoped that when my parents’ wedding videos were digitized I’d finally know what her voice sounded like. Sadly there was no clear recording of her voice. I’m heartbroken, but I am at least grateful for all the photos and videos of her.

[@Pauldjreadman]

That's a very good point.

[@MsHellokitty666]

I don't know why, but hearing this old man telling in my mother language that he's greeting the present from 1889, which is 99 years before I was born, brings tears to my eyes.

[@meyricklagardo4467]

shut up

[@dagmarvandoren9364]

Deutschland....nie aufgeben

[@ihanakaunotar2741]

It’s honestly pretty and haunting at the same time. Like how did he know it wouldn’t get destroyed and we would be listening today?

[@vb8801]

​@@ihanakaunotar2741 he obviously didn't

[@lifekeepsflowing]

I love how in small ways parts of our souls forever stay behind and live on. Thank you for sharing this

[@Bdchi3]

My great grandmother was born in 1911. I know that's not as far back as these but as a child I always felt like she sounded so different. I never heard someone who sounded like that. Even now I think of it the same.

[@NettiGaming]

My great grandma was born 1903. I used to think the same❤ she lived to over 100. God bless her memory

[@Locomotiveman1994]

There's a poetic irony in the fact that von Moltke did exactly what he praised the phonograph to make possible: raise his voice once more, although being long since burried.

[@zionismisterrorism8716]

It's more ironic that he was described as "silent", but he's the only real voice we can now hear from his time.

[@JamesBideaux]

he was 89 at the time, he knew his life was coming to an end soon-ish and maybe the topic he spoke about influenced the fact that it survived (we are less likely to throw away things we find to be profound).

[@-morrow]

how is it irony? he obviously picked those words intentionally.

[@HansDunkelberg1]

Moltke wasn't even wrong when he said (rather than "phonograph") "telephone". After all, those now listening to him will mostly be able to do so via the Internet.

[@andrewli6606]

Well, Edison didn’t invent the telephone.

[@blitzwave935]

Moltke playing the long game

[@BuddyLee23]

Imagine if he had a real weird moment and accidentally called the phonograph the internet, and it became some sort of folk name for a mythical communication invention until researchers actually starting the internet decided to use the name to call it the internet. 🤔

[@somenerdonline9627]

I mean I did watch this on my phone. Granted I'm not sure how Moltke would feel if he knew I was watching the video while on the toilet

[@5Puff]

what does a telephone have to do with the internet though

[@Calypso694]

My great grandfather was a fight pilot in WW1 he was old already in the 90s can’t imagine what he lived through and saw how much things change in the blink of eye.

[@lifeisstr4nge]

What amazes me is that photography AND video AND audio were invented BEFORE the first FRIDGE

[@ThePerfectRed]

It is haunting that the words that came to Moltke's mind were that a man could lift his voice from the grave - as he does right now.

[@BenjayyK]

I just find it funny how it was automatic for everyone to begin recording songs. Just shows how much we need art

[@MichaelTurner856]

Yeah music is awesome and always will be! I love art to. It is cool that the common song length of 2-3 minutes was a product of how much the phonograph could store!

[@Abebe345]

As you cued up the third "livelier" recording of a recent song, I was not watching my phone, just listening, I was floored to hear the most incredible sound and quality breaking out into near disco. Picking up phone to see an ad 😂

[@SoloMusing88]

I have watched many history topic related videos on KZbin and I have to say the way yours is organized, the images, music and slow pace is wonderful. You can tell all the care you put into making it. Great job!!

[@zappababe8577]

There is a museum in Germany that recorded the voices and many different accents of the English prisoners of war from WWI! I think they were overlooked and so were accidentally kept instead of being destroyed, and of course they are a priceless resource of great historical importance now.

[@yellowsyellows9150]

Where is this?

[@LeSarthois]

I remember this because they also recorded voices of French prisonners so when it was rediscovered it made the news here. A treasure trove of local accents, folk songs and testimonies.

[@duffman18]

​@@yellowsyellows9150 Germany

[@skatergirlskatergirl2486]

@@yellowsyellows9150 Richard E Grant's speech-coach wife, June Washington (I think that was her name; she died a year or so ago), put a video on KZbin about those recordings a few years ago so you can track them down/listen to them on here. What was incredible about those prisoner recordings to me, a Brit, was just how strong the regional accents the English soldiers had were - something you don't hear very much today when a kind of generic "estuary" English is spoken up and down the land - and also how many of the soldiers pronounced the word "father" as "ferrther", even ones who came from completely different parts of the country and who otherwise had completely different accents from each other. Just weird. But also fascinating to hear something you just don't hear now.

[@larryb982]

​@@skatergirlskatergirl2486I searched for it but couldn't find it. You have a link ?

[@sionrouge1697]

We are removed from them due to time but humans are still humans no matter the time. We all have that favorite tune that we cant get out of our heads. Bless these great Men.

[@StarchildMagic]

This is something I love about all kinds of media from the past (recordings, photographs, paintings, writing, etc.). It shows that while culture and technology may undergo massive changes through time, people are still people. Whether it's ancient Roman writers complaining about "kids these days" or Victorians taking silly photos, the human experience never really changes.

[@tylermech66]

@@StarchildMagic A Roman barkeep goes about his day, eats a breakfast of eggs with pork and beans and a fresh bun, he goes to the spa, stops by the barber, has a nice walk on the sea shore, stops by the local fast food joint for a quick soup lunch with mussels, then he goes and opens his bar for the afternoon while complaining to those who will listen about kids these days, ruining proper latin with all these foreign words they pick up while on campaign, then goes to bed after dinner with his family. Yep, the particulars might change, but being human rhymes true time and time again.

[@SStupendous]

"Kids" ruining Latin "On campaign"? Children aren't tough career soldiers, I get your comment's main point though@@tylermech66

[@tylermech66]

@@SStupendous you never hear old veterans calling newer soldiers kids? Admittedly, the guy wrote there would have been a civilian, so yeah prolly wouldn't be in a position to consider any soldier a kid within his culture, but yeah. I might also be misunderstanding the term "campaign", but I did write that comment in like 10 seconds, not claiming to be Shakespeare here lol.

[@belstar1128]

not if you go back over 1.000.000 years

[@billyrocket62]

I'm not sure why, but this KZbin video might be the most historic, though provoking, and just amazing one that I have ever seen/ heard. I knew nothing about this. Its like a damn time machine. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@slambot71]

Thank you for posting this, one of the most remarkable KZbin videos I've seen and heard. How incredibly ironic the "the one who is silent in 7 languages" became the oldest person whose voice is recorded. Someone from 1800 gave a 5 star review of the machine that recorded it, and that review is available on the internet. I believe it is important to talk to people who lived through the history that we generally only read about. I attended my first major league baseball game with my great-uncle, a World War I veteran. There are no US World War I veterans anymore. Speaking with an older person is different from reading a history book in that you can ask the person questions, and you can perceive things through their facial expression and body language. Talk to a person who grew up in segregation, a WW II, Korea or Vietnam vet.

[@clvin101]

It is amazing how muffled people used to sound. I can't believe that they all understood each other so well.

[@KuroHebi]

Human speech has come a long way!

[@hmu05366]

@@KuroHebiit’s a joke lol

[@mateuszgrzejszczyk5700]

@@hmu05366 I think he/she knows it's a joke

[@-_pi_-]

@@hmu05366I think he’s joining the joke not actually believing it bud.

[@Perebynis]

Yeah, and it was all black and white then...

[@evank3718]

Moltke was born in 1800, and although rare at that time people lived to be 100. Moltke could have come in contact with someone born in the late 1600s, who could have come in contact with someone from the 1500s. That is just crazy

[@Tempusverum]

And with 900,000 of average human lifetimes, you get to the time of Tyrannosaurus Rex

[@ninab.4540]

Last person who made it to 120+ was in the 90s. Back theb people assumed we'd reach 150 by 2025. We've had many 100ners but no 120+ since.

[@TheIrishvolunteer]

Mind blowing

[@D-Vinko]

​​@@ninab.4540Lmao? Only ONE person has ever been confirmed to have lived to or above 120, it was obviously a woman, because women live longer on average. Also, all 10 of the oldest people are women. 6/10 of the oldest people died in the 21st century, after 2010. If you skew to just the oldest men, who don't even make the top 10 oldest people; most of them died in the 2000s, pre-2010, but if we are counting all 2000s+, then 8/10 of the oldest men died in the modern era. If sorting by All of the longest living people since 1954, by age when oldest; the top 10 had 8 die after 2000, and 7 of those 8 were dead after 2010. If we look at Unverified claims (With complete birthdates), your point gets washed away; All 10 of the 10 oldest Unverified claims with complete birthdates were dead in 2020+ I cannot find a single study that states humans would live to 160+ by 2030 or whatever; studies into maximal longevity indicate a potential maximum human lifespan, an early 1930s study suggested there was no maximal lifespan. Unusually, you have one study that supports what you stated; it claims in it's abstract: "Here, by analysing global demographic data, we show that improvements in survival with age tend to decline after age 100, and that the age at death of the world’s oldest person has not increased since the 1990s." This is of course; immediately disproven by my above examples, but there is a study which did exactly what you did (look at the oldest person and when they died and basically just go "welp"). I'm prone to NON demographics studies, because demographics only tell you what has happened so far. Studies into the maximal age determined by basal metabolic oxygen utilization in heart tissue, which indicates a maximum lifespan of 125 years for athletes that have a VO²max of 50-60 at 20 years old, continue to train into their late ages, to maintain the rate of decline of their VO²Max. So I can't even really fathom what you're insinuating; lifespans have gotten longer on average, that's an undeniable fact.

[@Eddies_Bra-att-ha-grejer]

@@ninab.4540 Jeanne Calment might not even have been that old. There's speculation that she was the actual Jeanne Calment's daughter that took on her dead mother's identity for some tax reason.

[@oscarmills838]

What an amazing video, thanks so much for making this

[@ringoluv1331]

It gives me goosebumps but in a good way. What treasures to have these recordings!

[@SStupendous]

I had only heard "Au Clair De La Lune" from 1860 before, never the other two recordings. Very interesting not only to actually hear them for the first time, but see the story of Scott de Martinville in such detail. Read about him but never knew his story to this detail. Great video, I'm here ever since the similar one about Girault de Prangey's early 1840s photographs.

[@ommsterlitz1805]

Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville a name to not forget like he wished.

[@dixietenbroeck8717]

@SStupendous - Thank you for saying what I would have liked to have said, but couldn't ever manage to say anywhere _NEARLY_ as well. *_YOU_** said this all **_VERY,_** VERY WELL!*

[@SStupendous]

@@dixietenbroeck8717 Thank you too for your appreciation. I love this channel, it's everything I wish I could do if I have the time, the editing and script is top notch and actual history at a point when YT is full of bot channels and complete trash purposely spreading misinformation.

[@morpheas768]

Hearing that man recite nursery rhymes and be so upbeat and laughing, made me laugh out loud as well. It was genuinely wholesome, and actually brings to mind a different time, it really did make me feel like I am at the past for a bit.

[@danielweiner7251]

I have always been intrigued , overwhelmed, and facinated by the history of recorded sound, phonographs, tapes, reel to reel, the idea of aactually converting sound in to a form that it can be reproduced fills me with wonder. So this video was literally music to my ears, thank you so much.

[@LouieDeez]

So glad your videos came into my feed somehow. I love watching them. Amazing.

[@user-er8kz2jg6o]

It’s amazing how far technology has come in such a short period of time.

[@EnemaoftheState]

And people are still as ignorant as ever.

[@regkray]

@@EnemaoftheState Pretty much this. If anyone from ancient times right up to the 1990s were told that one day everyone would carry a handheld device that could immediately access the entirety of human knowledge, they would think that such a device would herald a new golden age, pushing back the frontiers of human understanding. Instead we have Tiktok dances and OnlyFans 🙄

[@stopdatwar4089]

@@EnemaoftheStateits for balancing purpose

[@krusher181]

@@EnemaoftheStatewell human beings aren’t technology are they? Inherently flawed

[@EnemaoftheState]

No they aren't. If it were not for 2% of the population the other 98% would still be living in caves and carrying clubs.

[@dannyd5727]

As a German, born 100 years after the recording of Moltke, it sends chills to my spine hearing his message. He actually understood what this invention would be capable of. This is proof of just how much humanity can accomplish. Why if shy don’t er always use our potential for only the good…

[@kentrosaurusboi3909]

I did too, it's a shame his remains weren't preserved (then again, it was Silesia, so pity)

[@frontenac5083]

At last a German who can spell "German" correctly!

[@really9473]

​@@frontenac5083 Considering you feel the need to go around correcting others on their use of "German", you should realize that not capitalizing the 'G' is not a spelling error, it is a grammatical error. Just as misplacing a comma or apostrophe would not be a spelling error, not capitalizing 'G' in German is not a spelling error.

[@joebloggs339]

This was soooo well-done. Such an interesting topic to make a mini-documentary on. THank you!

[@lancekilpatrick4824]

Fantastic video. I had no idea these audio recordings existed. It’s insane to think people from that long ago can still be heard. It’s a shame more voices and sounds weren’t preserved though.

[@NatalieRocke]

Bartok, the Hungarian composer went around recording folk songs to preserve his culture. These original recordings taken on wax cylinder still exist today and Bartok transcribed them for string orchestra. They go by the name The Romanian Folk Dances.

[@MaiAolei]

I consider preservers of history to be heroes and servants to mankind. Thank you for sharing this little known information!

[@davidelabarilemobile7094]

So the earliest voice ever is of field marshal von moltke a man so old and famous... A man that has lived so long that when he was 15 years old napoleon had just return from elba to france....a man that has lived so long that when he was even born that not even my earliest known ancestor was and yet we still manage to record his voice Amazing...both amazing and astonishing

[@therainman7777]

Amazing and astonishing are synonyms.

[@ammr3870]

It's amazing how 500 years ago might only be 25 generations ago.

[@therainman7777]

@@ammr3870 I know, I think about that all the time

[@davidelabarilemobile7094]

@@ammr3870 well its depends on how you count generations or how old the generations last...

[@Cropak_Napeik]

An even crazier thing about generations : If you interacted with an 80 year old when you were 10, and that this 80 year old had himself interacted with an elder when he was young, if we repeat that, we get 2000 years crossed with only 20 people. That absolutely blows my mind, that I am technically 20 people away from the Roman empire, and another 20 from the year 4000. Makes you realize how closed together history is when compared to the span of a dozen generations

[@charleyprole2704]

thankyou for this, loved it!

[@bramjanssen-ros4858]

Well done, Sir. I very much enjoyed this!

[@impagain]

Hearing laughter through the centuries is sort of beautiful. I really loved this

[@cybershinobi4136]

Unlike others who find it haunting I myself find it warms my heart, so thank you for creating this video :)

[@stahppls2293]

Same! It's so sweet that he specifically wants to "greet the present" wherever it might be Soon we will be the past, too, and his greeting. to the present continues to move with time 💛

[@moisesjimenez4391]

Well the last one isn’t all that creepy, if anything it’s quite inspiring. However, the first few recordings were kind of eerie just because of the sound distortion combined with the nursery rhyme style of music. It just sounds like something you’d hear in an antique horror show. I could definitely see someone using the audio for a horror video game in the future.

[@ChristianHuygens1]

Yeah, KZbin are full of clowns

[@erikseavey9445]

Aren't you special.... pat yourself on the back while you're at it lol

[@littlebritain64]

Look for Florence Nightingale and Trumpeter Landfried voices. They gave me chills. The trumpeter was one of the 600 soldiers from Lightbrigade charge in Balaklava. He used, in 1854, a bugle used already in the battle of Waterloo, 40 years before....

[@David-yj7qn]

Dude your videos are something else. Thank you for making these!

[@yates667]

I’m born in 1982 and I can remember my great-uncle’s voice who was born in 1888. He lived till 1994.

[@gatheringleaves]

Thank you Herr Von Moltke for allowing your voice to be preserved for future generations so that we inhabitants of the 21st century could listen to it played back in all its glory, Rest in Peace old soldier

[@arkady714]

Utterly fascinating. This, to me, is what KZbin is all about; education. Thank you for taking the time to create this!

[@ErikBricks]

This is a very interesting video. You didn't really understand anything about the first two recordings. But the third one by Helmuth von Moltke was understood very well. As a German, I understood exactly what he said and am proud that such an old German recording exists

[@johnnytheyoungmaestro]

Before this video, I believe one of the earliest known recordings of a voice I've heard was that of Queen Victoria, who was born in 1819. This video brought us the knowledge that there is a recording of a man of much historical fame, and was born one year after George Washington passed away. History is incredible. It really is. These people actually lived and walked the earth well over 200 years ago. It makes us all wonder what they were like in person.

[@lukem7952]

“The phonograph makes it possible for a man who has already rested long in the grave, once again to raise his voice and greet the present.” Absolute chills. How right he was by the views on this video.

[@mikeeaston1562]

So nice he said it twice.

[@ratias0]

What a beautiful documentary! Thank you for this

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Your videos are such a gem, thank you!

[@zoe6174]

5:43 Well, literally the song of the bee, sounds just like one

[@darkssaturn]

i can't believe how happy that laughter on the recording made me, i always thought these recordings were so scary and creepy but this is just pure joy

[@andrewwarrilow5670]

An amazing thing to experience. Thank you

[@4urluvjones155]

Wow... this is awesome. Great job bringing this to us. I'm an audiophile and find this fascinating. Listening to those old voices sent tingles up my spine. The closest thing to time travel that we have. Thank you

[@tzimisce1753]

I wish we would've been able to hear people from farther back. It would've been so fascinating to hear the old languages and what they thought and how they thought. And how they sounded! Inflections clearly change with time.

[@gofishglobal7919]

That would be amazing. But, I guess that, if they could have recorded voices, those languages might still exist.

[@mahirhussain4890]

There’s videos on KZbin showing how older languages sounded like

[@mitsurikanroji9548]

German dude sounded the same aa hitler speaking

[@Cactusgamer303]

Yeah but what will English sound like in like 200 hundred years from now that's also on my mind

[@tzimisce1753]

​@@Cactusgamer303 Metatron made a video about how English evolved from different stages, and made a guess about how English might sound in the future. It's called "How Weird Would Modern English Sound To A Medieval English Person?".

[@youriefavre9003]

It's almost as if there people are trying to say something important to us, imagining someone in the future will remember their voices. It's both haunting and fascinating to hear these recordings. Thank you for exposing them

[@ineffablemars]

It’s human to want to be remembered

[@haroldrupert4957]

Thanks for sharing this amazing and moving video .

[@AnonYmous-ry2jn]

This will sound unbelievable, but this video clears up a big mystery that troubled me for years. I was at a yard sale with miscellaneous antiques that appeared to be of little value, like old photographs like you see with the edges blurry and brownish color, with the people never smiling or anything, sometimes looking like gunslingers and what have you. So I was paying for my photos and the old lady said I mightlike the stuff in a box, but she wasn't sure what it was. It looked like it might be old sound recording equipment, really old because it was made out of wood and slate and stuff (even a thing that looked like a bone with some grease on it) they don't use any more. It had what looked like they might be recording cones in the set with frequency marks on it, so I thought I struck gold. I offered the lady $19 for the contents of the box, and she said just take it for free. I wasn't sure if my hunch was correct, so when I got home I tried to play back the recordings, hoping maybe it would be a song in Italian or something. So I rigged up something with my flashlight attached to an old Victrola (you know, with the crank), and it didn't work at first, so I tried to digitize the marks on the cone. Instead of a song, I heard a voice saying (and this is the part you won't believe), "This is Leon speaking and I'm the dude who invented the recording machine, not that MF idea-stealer Tom Edison, MF-MF, and I'm gonna sue his MF ass for stealing credit for my invention, of which this recording cone is ample MF proof." It went on like that for some time, and it seems like he thought the better of it, because for the rest of the recording, there was no "MF" anymore, but the voice woud say BLEEP there, like he was editing the profanity for his historic recording he might have to play in court. It was the best garage sale find and it coulfd be worth a lot of money today, and helping to set the "record straight" (get it, "record straight" haha - they didn't use a disc then, but a long straight cylinder or cone to record the sound, a "record straight"!) on who really invented the ancestor of what we have today.